Slugg...ish...

I just realized that Christmas is less than three weeks away and I've only just cast on for Brett's Christmas gift a few days ago. I am SO not going to finish in time. And you know what? I think I'm alright with that. Brett doesn't even care that the sweater won't be waiting for him under the tree on Christmas Day, he's just stoked that I'm even knitting him a sweater in the first place. The pressure to get it done is all on me. But you know what? I'm going to put that pressure into a bubble and just blow it away.

I feel much better now.

A few days leading up to, and all weekend long I didn't feel so great. I was extremely sluggish and spent 99% of the time fighting my eyelids to stay open. For a while there I thought my week-long stint of staying up 'til the wee hours of the morning sewing my arse off finally caught up to me, hence the glacial speed I was moving at all weekend. I think I need to keep telling myself that I'm not as young as I used to be and that the days of pulling all-nighters are far, far behind me (not to mention that I no longer have the old school episodes of Saved by the Bell to keep me up, like it did back in university! This episode was by far the most favourite amongst us fashion girls. Hell, I still think about that scene when I'm under pressure and on a deadline!). I honestly thought maybe I was coming down with something. Yesterday I was sort of relieved when my endocrinologist told me that my TSH levels were pretty darn low and that my fatigued state was due to my thyroid acting up. Phew, it's nice to know exactly why I'm channeling the ways of a snail but boo erns that my thyroid is acting up again.

So what I've really been meaning to say is that I did absolutely nothing all weekend. Nothing. Hell, I spent most of Saturday in my pyjamas! Brett had to go away for the weekend with his bosses to help out with one of their offices, so it was just me and the Munchkin holding down the fort. I had grand plans to get a crap load of stuff done and had a list of places to visit. Yeah...that didn't happen. To tell you the truth, we didn't really get to go anywhere either. Mainly cause someone didn't want to put on socks or their shoes ahemMunchkinahem and I was feeling way too exhausted to deal with that battle. Although, aside from his aversion to footwear and the occasional pair of pants, the Munchkin was actually really well-behaved all weekend and was content and at times thoroughly engrossed in playing with my hair clips and assorted kitchen tongs to help him pick up any toy that he could with them. Mainly little cars and his trains. Kids...such interesting little creatures, they are.

Anyhoo, I feel like I totally wasted a weekend since I didn't sew or knit a stitch. I take great solace in the fact that before Brett took off I did get some sewing done. I finally dove into the stash of Crafty Pirates fabric that I had kicking around in my sewing closet, and was able to whip up the project bags that you see above. I almost didn't list them in my shop. I wanted to keep them for myself. But then I dug into the pile of Japanese imported prints that I have been dying to sew up.

I made two of these "Pretty Girls" bags but only listed one. I'm trying to talk myself out of keeping the second one. So far I've managed to keep the bag in the sewing room, tucked behind another bag. Out of sight, out of mind, right?? Maybe I'll forget that it's even there. While I was digging around the stash I came up with some Christmas fabric that I had purchased a ton of last year with the (high) hope of sewing a bunch of drawstring bags to use in place of wrapping paper. Obviously that didn't happen. Hmm...maybe next year? Instead I've used some of it to make a really cute and festive bag for holiday knitting projects. I guess I could make a bunch and put gifts into it. It would be way more work than simple drawstring bags. Oh, who am I kidding?? I'd make sure all those gifts would go to me so that I could keep the freakin' bags, regardless what kind they are. Does that make me a bad person? Shh...I don't want to know. Admit it. Secretly, you'd keep them too!

These bags are going to have to suffice and quench my need to sew for at least a week...until I can feel somewhat "normal" again. Please note that this post took me a few hours to write cause I kept dozing off. Hmm...maybe I'm narcoleptic and not a sufferer of Graves' Disease? Does this post even make sense?? I'll put it on record right now: I'm sorry if anyone got messages or emails from me over the weekend that either didn't make sense or was just one long run-on sentence. Or something that resembled a drunk phone call, but in email form. I was not of right mind.

Luckily Brett is back and I've been able to take naps here and there without worrying about the Munchkin not being supervised (although, the worse he's ever done is spill an entire box of cereal on the floor in an attempt to open the bag...oh wait, I forgot about the time he used a blue ink pen to scribble all over a leather handbag...grrr). I finally got around to taking some photos of some knitting FOs that I can't wait to share, and I promise that I'll share them in the next few days. I've decided to take this week off from sewing and concentrate on knitting. I'm hoping my energy will return and I can get mucho knitting accomplished.

For now, I'm going to go back to bed and sleep for a few more hours. I am so sorry if this post is pure crap.

Ok Scottie. Beam me up.

Over and out.

2010: A Year of FOs

As is custom at the end of each year, here's a photo collage of all the projects completed in 2010. I had actually completed 45 projects, but a lot of them were project bags that had gone onto their new homes before I had the chance to take any photos. Some were repeated project bags - meaning that I liked a project bag so much that I made another exactly like it, with the random exception of a different zipper colour. The very first completed project of the year was an aqua skull and knitting needles project bag lined in black that I had made for the Bitchy Bees' Christmas party. That bag was my first venture into sewing project bags. I'm very sad that I never got to take photos of it before it was swapped around in the Bees' annual gift exchange.

For the curious, here's the list of the FO's shown above:

Starting from the top, left-right:

1. My very first hand-spun yarn

2. Owls sweater

3. Ribbed lace bolero

4. Eyelet cap

Second row, l-r:

1. Eclipse socks (they were my very first pair of knitted sock!)

2. Here n'There woven scarf

3. Twilight Dipped Infinity scarf

4. Brett's Turn a square hat

Third row, l-r:

1. 2nd blogiversary scarf

2. Pink Skew socks

3. Brett's Flaming Lucha Libre mask

4. Twilight Akimbo shawl

Fourth row, l-r:

1. Manu cardigan

2. Kawaii project bag (I made 3 of these bags in total)

3. German Skew socks

4. Pink Echino pig project bag (I made 3 of these)

Fifth row, l-r:

1. Teal Echino project bag (I made 2)

2. Green faux bois project bag (I made 2)

3. Black Echino pig project bag (I made 2)

4. Purple baby hats for charity (even though I had made 13 hats, I count this as 1 project)

Sixth row, l-r:

1. Simple & SweetGeorgia Pullover

2. Peacock pagona shawl

3. Houndstooth print project bag and travel tumbler (I made 2 houndstooth bags)

4. A stack of project bags (I had made at least 10 that went unphotographed)

Last row, l-r:

1. Large sweater sized Echino glasses project bag

2. Echino glasses notions pouch

3. The set I made for the Bitchy Bees' Christmas potluck gift exchange

4. Blue linen Tova dress

When I look at that mosaic I feel like I haven't really been productive all year, but when I think about it I had knit 14 completed projects (and there were a lot that I had started and worked on a great deal but couldn't finish before the year was over) and I am by no means a fast knitter. I should also be proud that considering that I rarely had any time to sew and was using the time when the Munchkin was down for a nap as sewing time, I had actually sewn up quite a bit.

I was hoping to participate in the 12 in 2011 movement - for those who are not a part of Ravelry, the 12 in 2011 is basically pledging and planning on making 12 projects before the year is over. You pick the projects and then gather all materials needed for each project so that there is nothing to hold you back from completing it. The whole point is to finally get those patterns in your queue made, yarns from the stash used, and getting that feeling that you've finally made a dent in (hopefully) both areas. Unfortunately my hands are still not feeling 100% and I don't want to risk permanent damage by being stubborn and knitting more than I should (anyone know of some good stretches for the hands and arms?). So I don't think the 12 in 2011 is going to be a realistic option for me. But that's ok. I'm hoping to sew more this year and one of my 101 goals is to read 50 books anyways and so far I only have 7 books under my belt. Maybe 2011 will be the year of the book?

Finished: Blue Linen Tova Dress

Oops! Don't mind the wrinkles, I took this photo after an afternoon of sitting in the truck running errands!

Oh wow, look! A sewing project that isn't a knitting project bag! Crazy, I know! I'm sure a lot of you are pretty relieved to not have to see another bag. This dress was my last FO of 2010, and was sewn at the beginning of December but couldn't blog about it 'til now cause I just couldn't get any photos taken of it. I knew that I wasn't going to get any knitting projects completed before the year was over but had thought why not end the year with a bang by sewing an actual garment?

This here is a Tova dress, sewn from a Wiksten limited edition hand-drawn sewing pattern. I've been in love with this dress since 2008, when I first laid eyes on the dress when Jenny first wore it on her blog. Then this version appeared a few months later and was to be on sale in her shop that spring. She was a one-woman show at the time and couldn't keep her shop stocked because her pieces would always sell out within a matter of hours, sometimes minutes! Even enlisting the help of an intern hasn't allowed her online shop to stay stocked with even one item. Not that it would matter anyways cause I wouldn't have been able to afford one of her lovely creations, now that my disposable income is no more and has become the Munchkin's diaper fund.

The dress was a very easy sew and came with thorough step-by-step instructions accompanied by photos for each step. Definitely a great pattern for a beginner who is ready for something a little more challenging. Brett was perplexed as to why I would buy such a pricey pattern for such a simple design, especially when I could have drafted the pattern myself. Well, true...I could have drafted the pattern but I would have felt extremely guilty for copying a self-published, independent designer's work. I love this dress to bits and would like to give the credit where credit is due while supporting an indie designer. I had to explain to Brett that the reason why the pattern was costly was because it was hand-drawn, then taken to a copy centre before each copy was folded by hand by the designer herself, then packaged and labeled...all in such a short amount of time and the whole process completed by a mere 2 peeps. All in all it had a lot to do with ethics and morals...and maybe, as a sewist and crafter myself, understanding just how much time and effort goes into producing such an item.

Anyhoo, back to the dress. I wasn't quite sure what type of fabric I wanted to use, and whether o not if I wanted a print or a solid fabric. So to help me decide I opted to shop within my fabric stash. I have had this blue fabric for a few years now, the post-it note containing the fabric's info was long gone. All I knew about it was that I had purchased it at Fabricana and that it was a linen blend of sorts. After a quick burn test I confirmed that the fabric was indeed linen, mixed with a tiny bit of viscose or rayon. I'm betting that it is a linen/bamboo blend, solely because I remember being full of glee as I laid eyes on the variety of sustainable fabrics that Fabricana was carrying at the time.

It took me 3 days to sew up the dress cause I only had the Munchkin's nap time to work on it. So far the dress is great as a layering piece for the colder weather and will be fabulous and airy in warmer weather. When I first tried on the dress Brett immediately called it my "19 kids and counting Amish dress". He really thought it was too roomy and a bit too conservative compared to the rest of the dresses in my wardrobe. I, on the other hand, am happy with how the dressed turned out and plan on making another as well as a shirt version sometime soon. The only things I would change the next time 'round would be to shorten the sleeves a tad and maybe sew the extra-small size for the shirt in hopes that it will cut down the ease in the bust area.

Now if only I can find the perfect fabrics...

Finished: Matching Extra Large Project Bag & Notions Pouch

As I mentioned in this post, earlier this month I had decided to whip up a matching project bag and notions pouch set as a gift for the Bitchy Bees' Christmas potluck. I wanted something a little more special than the project bags that I've been making lately so I opted to making a bag that was larger than my standard project bag, one that was big enough to hold a project as large as a sweater.

I used a print from Etsuko Furuya's Echino Spring 2010 fabric collection. I love the fabrics that she uses and every single print that she has ever designed. The fabric that I used for both the pouch and the bag has such a beautiful thickness to it that I think really helps the bag hold up and keep its shape. I also think reinforcing the seams with bias tape not only helps it to stay boxy when not in use, but also help make it more durable after regular use. I used a solid black cotton fabric for the lining, that way I wasn't taking the attention away from the outer fabric when the bag was open. When I had sewn in the zipper I was trying to unzip it so that I could topstitch one side of the zipper only to find that I had nothing to grasp onto. So I added 2 tabs, one at each end of the zipper instead of just the one at the opposite end of the handle, to help zip and unzip the zipper.

You can't really tell by the photo above, but the bag is definitely much bigger than my regular bags, so big that I can fit 2 yarn cakes and an almost finished cardigan in there! At one point I had managed to stuff in 3 cakes, the cardigan, and a pattern - unfolded and in a page protector, all with ease. I loved how the bag turned out so much that I just had to make myself a bag too!

I didn't think the project bag was enough as a gift on its own (in hindsight, it probably was and I was definitely underselling myself!), so I made a matching notions pouch to go with it. Again, I loved how it turned out that I had to make myself one too! The photo at the top of this post makes the pouch seem much larger than the project bag (the photo was taken at a weird angle), but really the pouch can fit inside the bag quite nicely.

The notions pouch is also lined in the same black cotton as the bag and has an interlining of heavy cotton canvas to make it sturdy. It's large enough to fit the pouch that I was previously using to hold some of my notions, as well as my Folca box full of stitch markers, a measuring tape, scissors, Chibi needles, a crochet hook, a needle/row gauge and ruler, and a few pens, with plenty of room left over for more.

If you look closely, the pouch is actually a smaller version of the very first project bag that I had made last year.

I really proud of this set and love how they both turned out that I'm thinking about making a few more in the new year. Well, maybe not so many of the extra large project bags, since they use up a lot of fabric, but definitely the pouches. So stay tuned for new ones to pop up on this here blog.

In the meantime, I've decided to take a mini break from sewing for the rest of the year (I can handle not sewing for almost 2 weeks, right?) so that I can enjoy the holidays and try to get some much needed rest. I do have a lot of projects in mind that I can't wait to get started on and definitely see a lot of craft goodness for the new year. Yay!

Ah-ha! Again!

I absolutely love having "ah-ha" moments. Don't you? My most recent one happened a few days ago while washing dishes. I forget exactly what it was that I was doing at the time, all I know was that I was thinking about pattern drafting (something that I have done in ages, sadly) and geometry for some strange reason. Then it hit me, the reason why I takes me so long to sew up a certain part on my projects bag!! Why I didn't think about before, or why I didn't see it while I was actually sewing it before it beyond me. But it's all about simple mathematics! Ah-ha!

I'm still on a project bag sewing kick. Every time I see a fabric in my stash I think about what a great project bag it would make. Before you know it, I'm cutting it up and setting it aside for when I have a few minutes to sit at my beloved sewing machine and sew a few seams. Brett is convinced that the reason why I start so many knitting projects is so that I can sew up a bag for each project. Hmm...maybe?

I'm sure you're all sick and tired of seeing nothing but project bags on this here blog. But bare with me. These bags are the perfect little project to sew up while the little one naps. And it feeds my sewing urges. Now if I can only get the urge to sew some clothing up...

Yaaaaawn!

Even though I have a ton of knitting WIPs, I haven't been doing much knitting lately. Aside from working on the Simple & SweetGeorgia at knit night both Tuesday and last night, and the random row here and there on a PURPLE baby hat (I'm onto hat #11 now!), I've decided that my hands deserved a much needed break. Yes, yes, I know all about repetitve motion syndrome and the injuries related to it. I have been doing stretches before, during, and after knitting, as well as throughout the day. I understand that I need to take this break if I plan on continuing with this knitting, and so I've gone back to my crafty roots and have been doing some sewing...and when I can't be at the sewing machine I've been doing (gasp!) some weaving.

Unfortunately there's not much to show. I did whip up a drawstring project bag on Thursday so that it would match my purple yarns for the baby hats.

I couldn't find 1/4" wide purple ribbon in my stash, so I'm temporarily using some cotton yarn to act as the drawstring. I'm not happy with the pocket, I think I did quite the shoddy job on it, but other than that little defect I'm quite happy with the bag. Not a bad job considering that I spent 15 minutes tops on cutting and sewing. I had literally whipped this up right before Brett had to leave for work, when there was someone to (kinda) watch over the Munchkin (since he needs to know exactly where Mommy is at all times and must be millimetres away from where Mommy is if he isn't already clutching a limb belonging to Mommy. Which means he was standing right behind me, holding onto my chair the entire time I was sewing!).

I've also been doing some other sewing, but don't have anything to show for it other than the photo above, since nothing has been completed yet. I've been sewing it up all "piece work" styles. So at the end of the parade I should end up with at least 18 finished items! But don't get all excited, they're all the same thing. I have to admit, even though I haven't churned out anything after all this sewing, it's been super duper nice to be sitting in front of my sewing machine. I missed the days where I was able to be at my sewing machine for an entire day. Where I was able to sew my arse off and be able to sew well into the wee hours of the morning without anyone complaining. Ahh...those were the days...

Hopefully I'll have more to show the next time I blog, this is probably THE most boring post I've ever written to date! And for that, I'm deeply sorry. I'll try to make up for it!

Finished: A Trio of Project Bags

Lookie here! I managed to churn out some more project bags! There's not much to say about them that I haven't said before. The only thing different about two of them is that I had made a seam at the bottom cause the fabric that I had used has a one-way print. I had these bags cut out weeks ago, before the trip to the Okanagan. My plan was to have a bunch cut out so that I could sew them up while at the in-laws, since my MIL said I could use her brand new domestic sewing machine. I was extremely excited to be able to sew at night while the Munchkin was sleeping, since there was no downstairs neighbour troll to complain and protest against this. Unfortunately, like a lot of things in life, those plans didn't pan out as planned. Oh well. C'est la vie!

The first bag that I made was this pink Echino pig print. I absolutely LOVE all the Echino lines and think that Etsuko Furuya is a genius! I wish I had all the money in the world to purchase bolts and bolts of each print. Maybe I should stop buying yarn for a while and use that money to buy more fabric. Hmmm...

Anyways, as much as I love this fabric and this print, I'm not in love with this bag. Why? Cause the perfectionist in me hates the fact that I messed up the fabric layout. Do you see it??

Yeah, that's right. The pigs aren't facing the right way. They're upside down!! Grrr!! I'm sure this little detail wouldn't bother most people, but it sure bothers me a great deal. Even more so when the rest of the bag is perfect! It's lined in black and fully finished on the inside. My favourite thing about the whole bag? The handle:

The pig is soo cute! I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with this bag, since I know it'll drive me up the wall if I were to use it myself. Those little upside down pigs will taunt me each time I use the bag, and I'm too embarrassed to even sell it. Not even for $10. Poor bag. It's not its fault.

The other Echino bag that I made is this beautiful teal with chocolate brown woodland silhouette print. Like the pink pig fabric, this one is also a home decor weight (re: a dream to sew with!!) that is a gorgeous cotton/linen mix. Can you say yum? I can sew with this fabric all day if I could!

This time I paid attention and had sewn the print the right way up. You can't tell but it's lined in a matching dark chocolate cotton and has a little stub of brown nylon webbing as a tab at the end. Not to sound like a broken record, but can I just say how much I love this fabric?? Seriously! I can't get enough!

I'm thinking of making another one, cause this one no longer lives with me. It now lives in a very good home of another Bitchy Bee. My fellow knitter and True Blood fan (and also enabler, she's the one that lent me all the Sookie Stackhouse books!), Deb had bought this bag last week. I hope she's enjoying it!

The last bag is not an Echino fabric, but a faux bois print. This fabric is a simple quilting cotton from the Joel Dewberry line, Aviary. This is another print that I absolutely love and wish I could find more of. I also have a ton of this in the magenta colourway (of course!) that I was planning on using for a quilt and maybe pillowcases, but now after seeing how this bag turned out I just might have to make myself a pink version. Brett loves how this bag looks like a log and has been hinting that he would love to have a shirt made from this fabric. Um...yeah, no. I've been hoarding this fabric for so long, it's a wonder that I even used some of it to make this bag!

I'm still contemplating whether or not to keep this bag. I enough of this colourway to make another, but I have this weird feeling that I'm the only one that thinks this fabric is cool (besides Brett, but sometimes I can't trust his judgement on these type of things). Anyone out there that likes this fabric too? Or am I the only one?

I still have some more project bags cut out and in the works. I think these would sew up much more faster if the inside finishings weren't so freakin' tricky. I could do what a lot of other people do, and that is to either serge or sew a simple zig zag stitch to finish the seam. No offense to anyone reading this who has done that, but I'm just not a fan of that way. I'm using these bags for knitting projects and I can envision needle tips getting caught in the serging threads, causing them to pull and look messy. I can also see with further use my most hated characteristic of unfinished seams - fraying edges. So sewing a zig zag stitch is definitely out of the question for me. I guess I'll be sticking to my time consuming way for now. Here's to hoping that over time as I sew more and more of these that I'll just get better and faster.

So stay tuned, I'm sure you'll be seeing way more project bags in the near future!

Finished: Kawaii Project Bag

Hey look! An FO that I had completely forgotten to blog about! And a sewing one at that! I'm sure you're all happy to finally see an FO amongst all the knitterly WIPs that I've been blogging about lately. This project bag is old news to my knitting group, who have all seen this since the middle of August, when I finally got some time to spend with my beloved sewing machine.

Some people have asked why it's so hard for me to find the time to sew, especially when there are other moms out there in blogland that have more than one kid, blog on a daily basis, have an online shop, book deals, guest blog on other blogs, and have finished sewn items on a weekly basis amongst other things - versus my one lonely child and none of those other responsibilities. Well, let me tell you my deal. I'm the main caregiver to the Munchkin, I work a few mornings on the weekends at an actual job - which I do solely as a way to get out of the house and to socialize with adults, to feel somewhat "normal" if you will. Tuesdays I work the morning shift and when I get home Brett then starts his work week. Friday nights is when I meet up with my knitting group - that's my "me time". I don't ever want to deny my son his mommy time, not during these first few crucial years. So I don't feel right dumping him in the middle of a pile of toys or parking him in front of the TV just so that I can sew. Don't get me wrong, I do let him watch his kiddie movies or let him continue to play by himself so that I could throw another load of laundry in the wash or dryer, or so that I could do dishes or whatever household chore that needs to be done.

When we're not at the playground, going for walks, finger painting in the kitchen, or doing something that demands my complete and total attention, I am able to knit for a bit. It's much easier to pick up the needles and knit a few stitches here and there, rather than to run over to the sewing machine and sew a seam. I don't have the luxury of having grandparents or any other family member around who can take the kidlet for a few hours a week so that I can have time to do what I want. As sad as it is to say, in the past two years since the Munchkin has been born, Brett and I have had only 3 moments where we were alone and could do couples stuff.

The little one doesn't take long naps. Maybe an hour, hour half tops. In that time I usually plop down on the couch and take a breather. Maybe check my email, make a cup of tea...time that I definitely enjoy the peace and quiet. When the wee one (finally) goes to sleep at night, Brett and I spend some time talking about our day, make and/or eat dinner, and just spend the time where we're able to be together. By then it's a little on the later side of the evening, and in my building complex our designated "quiet time" is between 10pm-9am. So you better believe that the troll that lives below me is ready with her broomstick in case I decide to sneeze at 10pm on the dot. All of which makes sewing at night out of the question. So...this all means that I have to plan my sewing time. As in Brett and I have to make the time for when I can sew. When a date and time is set I try to get all the prep work done ahead of time so that when I have the opportunity to be kidlet-free, I can just sew. Although when I do get the chance to sew it's for no longer than an hour or two. It's not much, but still better than nothing. So there you go.

Back to the project bag. I got the fabric at Satin Moon Quilt Shop a few months ago. I have a thing about Japanese prints and fabrics, and so this print was definitely right up my alley. I had bought only a metre of it cause Satin Moon is quite the pricey shop. Not only am I major fan of the print, but the colourway is sooo me. Don't you think? I had some pink cotton in my stash that matches the pink in the print perfectly. I finished the inside seams in black (which you can't see cause I didn't photograph the inside) which I think adds to the entire look.

I made the bag so that I could try out a different weight of fusing, which it turns out is way too light for my liking. I like my bags to have some weight to it and keep its structure even when not in use. The fusing I used this time 'round made the bag way too flimsy and makes the zipper 'sink'too much when it's not filled to the max. The bag is still big enough to fit 2 big cakes of yarn, a notions case, and a sock in progress.

My favourite thing about this bag: the handle. More specifically, the cool flower with the shades and the star on one of its leafs:

I had cut the fabric out so that the flower could be on the side of my label. I'm definitely planning on making another bag in this fabric, but with a heavier weight fusing. And maybe cut the fabric in a different direction. I had cut it lengthwise cause I didn't want to lose the effect of the graphics, but now that I've toted this bag around a few times I think I would like to see the print better vertically for when it's on a table.

Just hope I get some more sewing time soon!

Proof

Here's my proof that I really did get to do some sewing. I didn't get the chance to finish anything though, since my time was very, very limited. As in half an hour. Oh well, I'm just happy that I even got the chance to sit down and actually use my sewing machine rather than just sitting in front of it petting and whispering to it that one day I will get to use her again! I'm really hoping that I'll get the chance to do some more sewing today. Brett had promised that I would get that chance, but then this morning he volunteered to go get sand for the sand box for the Munchkin's toddler group at our community centre. I can't get mad at him for that, as it's a deed for a very good cause.

I was just hoping that I could finish at least one thing this week before I went on vacation! I'm keeping my fingers crossed...cross your fingers for me too!

The Wheels Are In Motion...

...And I'm getting ready for a date with my sewing machine! I highly doubt I'll be able to sew for hours, as much as I wish I could. But I'll take any time that I can get with my dearly beloved and neglected Midnight Miss Juki (yes, that's what I call my sewing machine. She's named after Posh Spice's superhero name from the Say You'll Be There video)! Hopefully I'll have something to show you all in the next week or so...something that isn't knitting related, as I'm sure all you non-knitters are (im)patiently waiting for non-knitting blog content!

More to come soon...ish.

A little piece of heaven

Happy Monday! The weekend has come and gone and I don't know how it went by so darn fast! It went in such a blur that the only "events" that happened that stick out in my mind was the copious amounts of time with my sketchbook, numerous cups of tea paired with my favorite Ezekial 4:9 Cinnamon Raisin toast, an attempt at sweater blocking, and get this: time with my sewing machine!!

One of my 101 goals was to sketch in my sketchbook every day for 2 weeks (in hopes of brewing up some creativity juices and to get me into the habit of actually using my sketchbook on a regular basis) and so far I've managed to do it! I'm quite proud of myself for sticking with it. There were a few days when I had a complete creative block but somehow came through and did some "work" in my book. Which leads me to another goal - to fill up a pocket-sized, 80 page moleskin sketchbook each month (talk about pressure!). So I'm quite pleased that I got to spend some time doing quick little sketches throughout the weekend.

I've completed the knitting on my Owls sweater a while ago and was procrastinating on blocking it. I finally got around to it this weekend and am still waiting for it to dry. Not an easy feat to do when you've got a very curious toddler running around wanting to know what Mommy is doing every second of the day! So far it looks good, but I think I knitted the sleeves a bit too long for my T-Rex arms. When it's all good and done I'll post up some photos.

This past Sunday was also the Bitchy Bees' annual post-Christmas knit night party. Unfortunately I forgot my camera and so I have no photos from it. Everyone bought such yummy eats and treats that a day later I can still feel the sugar coursing through my body! Some of the yumminess involved: the Bees' founder, Nessa, made decadent cream puffs that were simply to die for; our lovely hostess, Becky, made a delicious celery soup (and if you know me at all, you'd know that I'm a HUGE fan of soup and could live off a pot of the stuff and nothing else!); and one of the main highlights of my night was the yummy homemade madeleines that Jennifer made...which I gotta see if she'll hook me up with her recipe. So Jennifer, if you're reading this, can you hook a sister up (this is where I'm smiling as wide as possible and giving you the nudge, nudge ;) )?! I made a batch of my trusty go-to cupcakes: Carrot-Coconut with White Chocolate and Cream Cheese Frosting, which Brett was happy to sample before I went to the party.

As I've mentioned at the beginning of the post, I managed to get in some sewing time!! It was bittersweet, but still, it was fabulous to get re-acquainted with the love of my sewing life. Why bittersweet? Well, my neighbour downstairs decided to keep banging on my floor/her ceiling and calling our building manager to complain about the "excessive noises" we were making (which she likes to complain about on a weekly basis..."they chop their food too loud", "they dropped a can on the floor", "I can hear them eating"...). Anyways, the reason for the sewing was cause I was to bring a knitting related gift to the party. Since I'm not sure if my tastes in yarn matches anyone else's, I decided to forgo bringing a skein of lovely yarn and opted to make a boxy bag project bag which I then filled with a bottle of Eucalan Wool Wash and a WIP sock tube. I was pretty much running late all day and so I didn't have the time to take a photo of the finished bag. But trust me when I say it was über cute and it was definitely super hard for me to part with it! I made it with the black and turquoise skull and knitting needles fabric you see in the above photo, lined with a light turquoise Kona cotton. To make it go with the 'sock knitting project bag' theme I was going for, I added a little silver sock stitch marker to the zipper pull. I had also started another small project bag with the skull and scissors fabric (also seen in the above photo), but didn't have the time to finish it yet.

So that was my weekend in a nutshell! Brett leaves for Vancouver again this week, so I'm not sure just how much crafting I'll be able to do while he's gone. I've got a new project on my knitting needles that I hope to share with you all soon.

'Til then, happy knitting fiber enthusiasts!

Finished: Pirate Birthday Bunting

After a busy weekend things are slowly going back to normal around here. The house is very slowly getting cleaned up (who knew a birthday party and having family staying here could muster up so much laundry and garbage??) and the munchkin is finally settling back into his old routine.

Anyways, I had completely forgotten to post about this, but for some reason I am obsessed with getting the munchkin all things pirate and skull and crossbones related items. So it was only natch that I make his first birthday a pirate themed party. Brett and I decorated the house with white, red, and gold streamers, plain black and white balloons, random helium-filled metallic balloons that had a pirate-y skull printed on both sides, and served appetizers on plates that looked like treasure maps. Even the happy birthday sign was made with black and white card stock, using a pirate-like font to spell out happy birthday. If that wasn't enough, I had quickly sewn up a few buntings to put around the house (yes, can you say overkill??).

I already had the right fabric in my stash so I didn't even have to go hunting for fabric that would fit the bill. I've never made a bunting before, but it looks pretty darn easy and didn't think it was something that you really would need a pattern or directions for. So I winged it and I think it turned out great.

I used a piece of card stock to draw up an 8" x 9" triangle template and had cut out the fabric using my trusty rotary cutter. I made more work for myself by making the bunting reversible rather having just a single layer of fabric with no backing. So on one side of the bunting it's all the different prints that I used, and the other side is strictly the skull and crossbones print, which I forgot to take photos of. To make it somewhat easy on myself, I just sewed the fabrics wrong sides together instead of the whole right-sides-together-then-turn-it-right-side-out deal. I wanted to give the edges a more so-called ragged look to them, so I had bought a pinking blade for my rotary cutter to trim the edges. Let's just say, I'm in complete and total love with the pinking blade!! Best invention ever! It had definitely made this little project go by much faster. I probably would have been sitting in my kitchen for at least an hour trimming all those triangle edges with my chunky old pinking shears that are in dire need of a good sharpening. With the pinking blade, it took me less than 10 minutes to clean up those edges! Pure love!

Anyhoo, once the triangle pieces were ready, I used pre-packaged extra wide, double folded bias tape in black to sew the bunting together. Easy peasy. And they were such a hit!

To add even more pirate-y goodness, I even made cupcakes (instead of having a regular old birthday cake) in the pirate colors:

The munchkin himself got his very own oversized cupcake to enjoy! Unfortunately I didn't take any photos of it cause I was still decorating the cupcakes as the guests were arriving and was in such a hurry to get everything done that I had completely forgot that I even owned a camera at that time. Oh well, I'm sure I'll be using the giant cupcake pan (which I had bought specifically for the wee one's big day) again real soon, as I'm determined to master it...for future reference, of course!

Starteritis

I've been hit with a bout of "Starteritis". Y'know, that uncontrollable urge to start project after project with no real concern or thought for when or if you'll ever finish any of them in the near future. Yes, that's what I've been dealing with lately. Not to mention that it really doesn't help that my desire to have all these sweaters in rotation in my wardrobe this winter is quite overwhelming either. And let's not forget about cold weather accessories! I really need to stop browsing the patterns on Ravelry, buying knitting magazines, and borrowing knitting books...my knitting list is just getting way too long!

Another thing that doesn't help my case: my knitting group doing a group order from Knit Picks, which I happily participated in and ordered a bunch of yarn, the above photo doesn't even show half of what I had ordered. Since getting my yarn I've been seriously dying to get started on the projects that I had in mind for all this yarn. But I had to refrain as those projects are a little on the lower side on that aforementioned knitting list.

Besides the first photo, here are some more WIPs:

**Edit - this project is actually finished now! It just needs to be blocked**

I couldn't get a good shot of the yarn on the needles, so here's the yarn instead

Again, I couldn't get a good shot of the yarn on the needles...so just the colors being used for this project

Yet, knitting isn't the only crafty area that has been hit with Starteritis. I've started a lot of sewing projects as well...on top of the several that I already have on the go. Ugh. Must...get...this...Starteritis...under...control!!!

Arrr, Matey!

Ok Self, here's the deal: no more starting projects until you get 2, yes, that's 2 WIPs completed!

Has anyone else been hit with Starteritis lately?

For the love of Karma

I'm still gobsmacked about what arrived in the post for me yesterday.

Here's the dilly:
A few weeks ago I was using the time that I should have spent knitting...or cutting out fabric...surfing etsy, when I found these lovely gocco prints on linen:

I saw the boy version first and thoughts of making baskets like the wee basket that I made for my munchkin, only this time make the baskets for "clean" and "dirty" facecloths. Then I noticed that the same seller had girl prints. I snatched up some of those too. Then I noticed that the seller had a blog and thought I would check it out, since we all know how much of a snowball effect there is when it comes to surfing the 'net and one link leads to another, and another, and another...well, you get the picture.

Jodie's blog, Ric Rac, is a beautiful blog full of fabulous stuffies that she designs and makes. And each stuffie has a sweet story to go with it. The day that I stumbled on her blog she commented that she was notified that she was being featured in a magazine that was not available in her homeland of Australia, and was asking if someone in the US would be so kind to mail her a copy. Which is funny, cause the magazine she was inquiring about, I had actually spotted and leafed through earlier that day (we get pretty much every single American magazine here in Canada)! No one had left a comment yet, and since I had that very issue/magazine in my hands a few hours before reading that post, I thought I would offer my services. I really didn't think much of it, as it was not out of my way, and I completely and totally understand wanting to have a copy of a newspaper/magazine/some form of media that is showcasing your work to add to your portfolio (when I was in Nylon magazine, I bought 3 copies and begged a friend who conveniently worked in the magazine section of Chapters to save me any left overs when they had to take it off the shelves...they throw them out anyways!).

Anyhoo, long story short (or longer, depending on how you look at it), I sent Jodie a copy of the magazine, happy to be able to help out a fellow blogger/crafter/entrepreneur, without expecting anything other than an email to say she got it safe and sound. I had completely forgotten about all this...until yesterday. When I discovered a package in my mailbox. It was from Jodie! I couldn't open it then and there, as I had to get to the bank before they closed and so I stuffed the package into my tote bag and off I went. The wee one has been going through a majorly fussy stage (ok, he has developed quite the temper and has learned about the art of temper tantrums), so I forgot about the package (due to "Mommy brain") 'til much later when the little terror took a very late nap and I was searching for my pink Sharpie. I was completely astonished as to what that package held for me!

Patterns to make my very own stuffies!

Kits to make these adorable ornaments

A set of notecards that feature her handmade stuffies

Some wonderful trim and a handmade keychain!

I feel real guilty and almost like I shouldn't accept this! This was way too generous of Jodie! All I did was send her a magazine! When she had asked me for my mailing address so that she could send me something in gratitude, I was thinking maybe she was going to send a beautiful handmade card - since a written thank you note/card sent the old school, snail mail way just seems to be a thing of the past. But to be sent all this? W-O-W-O!!

I can't wait to make all these, and am already planning on making a hot pink and black tea set to use as decoration in my sewing closet. I have a few friends that have little girls and think that in a year or so I'll be able to make them their very own fabric tea sets!

I forget the seller's name and etsy shop, but I've been admiring and planning on buying some fabric made by her, and so it was even more of a surprise and major delight to get a spool full of trim made by the exact seller whose work I've been marveling at! I have so many ideas as to what to do with this trim swimming 'round the ol' noggin, but am waiting for the right one to pop up and be worthy of such cuteness.

I also love the other trim that Jodie sent, since I seem to hoard all things measuring tape related. I can honestly say that I own at least 10 measuring tapes (don't ask why) and for some reason whenever I make a trip over to Dressew I always end up with a few more in my basket. Very OCD of me.

Anyways, I'm going to go ooh and ahh over my new goodies again. I just wanted to share the absolute niceness of a complete stranger, and the wonderful surprise I received for doing a good deed. I guess it really does pay to be nice and help out others, cause one day something wonderful and completely unexpected will happen in return!